Medicine & Health articles from March 2008

Medicine & Health archives from March 2008

Lawmakers officially introduce bill to curb medicare spending: trigger bill could be the first in a string of proposals.(Medicare Spending)
March 7, 2008... The proposals to "fix" Medicare's funding shortfalls have only just begun. On Feb. 25, Congress introduced legislation that includes proposals on how to curb Medicare spending. Titled the "Medicare Funding Warning Response Act of 2008,"...

Proposed Medicaid legislation to provide greater autonomy to states: new CMS rule would provide health care in more cost-effective manner.(Medicaid)
March 7, 2008... The two new rules proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will give states more flexibility in tailoring their Medicaid programs to meet beneficiaries' needs. These roles would give states freedom to adjust their...

EHR project to improve health care services: cash rewards could add up to more than $250,000 for selected practices.(EHR)
March 7, 2008... In a move to improve the efficiency and accuracy of health care services across the nation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting physician practices to join its Electronic Health Records Demonstration project. ...

MA plans called on the carpet for home care costs: GAO report leaves out other negatives of MA plans' home care policies, industry says.(Managed Care)
March 7, 2008... Common knowledge about Medicare Advantage (MA) in the home care industry is now getting attention from the general public for the first time, and home health agencies hope the information will change managed care practices for the better. ...

MedPAC advises congress to raise physician payment in 2009: but where there are hikes, there are also drops.(Physician Payment)
March 7, 2008... The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is no friend to home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities this year. On Feb. 28, MedPAC formally submitted its March 2008 Report to the Congress--Medicare Payment Policy, which...

Study shows continuous increase in the number of uninsured: decline in ESI rates more prominent in the low-income group.(Insurance Trends)
March 7, 2008... Even though the U.S. economy improved between 2004 and 2006, insurance rates have steadily declined, due to fall off in employer sponsored insurance plans, recent research shows. The number of uninsured in the U.S. grew by 3.4 million from...

Older Americans skipping flu vaccinations: not getting the shot could endanger family and caregivers.(Senior Health)
March 7, 2008... Only half of people age 50-plus received a flu vaccination in 2006, despite recommendations that adults 50 and older be vaccinated against influenza, according to a survey conducted by AARP. AARP and National Foundation for Infectious...

Medicare remains among OIG's biggest challenges: but OIG does recognize improvement.(OIG)
March 7, 2008... Earlier this week, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a summary of its Top Management Challenges. In the summary, the OIG noted that it intends to come up with "innovative strategies" to improve services in these areas. ...

Medicare advantage may not be the money-saver that the government originally thought: GAO and CMS disagree.(Medicare)
March 7, 2008... The Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced in a Feb. 28 report that Medicare spends more per beneficiary on Medicare Advantage patients than for those in the original Medicare fee-for-service program. The report disputes CMS' previous...

Home care recognized for service and tech strides: laptops help one agency to be more efficient.(Home Care)
March 7, 2008... Publicly traded home care companies are getting some broader publicity for the home care industry. A report in a recent issue of Investor's Business Daily highlights two innovators in home health. The article, in the Feb. 19 issue, features...

CMS program tracks $371.5 million in improper medicare payments: about 96 percent of improper payments included overpayments from health care providers.(Medicare)
March 14, 2008... As part of a demonstration program using recovery audit contractors (RACs) in California, Florida and New York in 2007, $371.5 million in improper Medicare payments has been collected from or repaid to health care providers and suppliers,...

Bush administration encounters strong opposition to proposed cuts to Medicare: 73 percent to support the candidate who does not implement the cuts.(Medicare Cuts)
March 14, 2008... The Bush administration's proposal of five year $24 billion cuts to Medicare's nursing home benefit is being strongly opposed by the general public, states a new national survey conducted by Zogby International for the American Health Care...

HIT execs believe the industry should work together on information security: there is a substantial need for a common security framework, according to HIT executives.(HIT)
March 14, 2008... Ninety six percent of health information technology (HIT) executives think it is important to have a uniform way for verifying the security of sensitive health care information, according to a survey conducted by KRC Research. The survey,...

Mandatory price disclosure bill for medical technologies might increase costs: bill is unlikely to benefit patients or hospitals.(Legislation)
March 14, 2008... Pending congressional legislation that would impose a mandatory disclosure of prices for certain medical technologies might result in increased prices. This legislation would also offer "no tangible benefits to the patients" states a new study...

Army improves care for injured servicemembers: hiring staff is among their greatest challenges.(Military)
March 14, 2008... Concerns about Army servicemembers' post-injury care sparked a series of Washington Post articles regarding conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. These articles highlighted problems in the Army's management of injured...

Medicare advantage plans bring cost savings: $1,100 per year saved by enrollees through Medicare Advantage benefits package.(Senior Health)
March 14, 2008... Medicare Advantage plans top the list in providing high-value health care coverage to millions of seniors in America, according to the findings and projections released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO...

NRT: most effective method to quit smoking: research indicates most of the smokers are misinformed about NRT.(Studies & Reports)
March 14, 2008... Leading researchers in the field of smoking cessation got together at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) on March 1 to present the latest research on smoking cessation, reports a press release. A study...

Health care spending can rise up to $4.3 trillion by 2017: health care is likely to consume an expanding share of the U.S. economy over the next decade.(Spending)
March 14, 2008... By 2017, U.S. health care spending is expected to nearly double, reaching $4.3 trillion and consuming 19.5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a federal analysts report in an article published in Health Affairs....

CMS pushes accreditation for competitive bidding: supplier standards, surety bonds also addressed in Open Door Forum.(Accreditation)
March 14, 2008... Durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers haven't rushed to apply for accreditation after learning of the 70 new areas subject to Medicare's competitive bidding program. "I understand from all of our 10 deemed accrediting organizations...

AMA reacts to Medicare payment cut projections: a payment cut as big as 10.6 percent remains a possibility.(Medicare)
March 14, 2008... Physicians' Medicare payment woes may not end in July, according to one new Medicare report. In a letter to MedPAC last week, Jeffrey Rich of the CMS Center for Medicare Management estimates that Medicare payments to physicians will drop...

VistaCare acquisition is a go: stockholders urged not to tender.(Mergers & Acquisitions)
March 14, 2008... Odyssey HealthCare Inc.'s acquisition of VistaCare Inc. is moving ahead, despite opposition from one major VistaCare stockholder. Odyssey now owns 84 percent of VistaCare's stock, which it bought in its initial offer period for $8.60 per share,...

Physicians found reaping the benefits of privately insured patients: Medicaid safety net is unraveling.(Studies & Reports)
March 21, 2008... According to a recent study, the balance hospitals use to pay for uninsured and Medicaid patients is in jeopardy. To subsidize care for uninsured patients and Medicaid enrollees, hospitals have traditionally used profits from their insured...

Senators ask for refined Medicaid co-payment policy: Medicaid co-pays set to rise faster than their peer programs.(Medicare)
March 21, 2008... Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed their concern that Medicaid co-payments are on too quick of an increase. Baucus and Grassley voiced these concerns in a letter to Health and...

New study dissects feds' bidding approach: 'gaming' of the system is likely to hurt small suppliers and beneficiaries.(Studies & Reports)
March 21, 2008... The study causing the big stir about home medical equipment competitive bidding in recent days is one that every supplier should know about, industry leaders say. The study, "Will Competitive Bidding Decrease Medicare Prices?" was...

The latest scoop on what's coming down the MDS, payment and compliance pike: speakers at AANAC, American Health Lawyers' LTC conference bring conferees up to speed.(MDS & LTC Trends)(Conference news)
March 21, 2008... In the MDS and long-term care world these days, there's a steady drumbeat of new and ongoing developments. And speakers recently provided the latest updates at the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC) spring meeting in...

Budget closer to completion--and possible cuts: lawmakers continue to troll for Medicare savings, with home care a prime target.(Legislation)
March 21, 2008... Home care providers were happy to see the U.S. Congress pass budget resolutions for 2009 with no home care cuts before adjourning for Easter recess, but the threat to home care provider payment rates is far from over. The House and Senate...

Hospital outpatient services on OIG's radar: mapping error causes $575,000 in overpayments.(OIG)
March 21, 2008... The OIG zeroed in on hospital outpatient services recently, and the results were eye-popping. According to a new audit report, released last week, the OIG reviewed high-dollar hospital outpatient claims in California between 2003 and 2005,...

Proposed rule could give HHS secretary final say: authority to reverse ALJ and DAB decisions now on the table.(Survey Appeals)(administrative law judge)(Departmental Appeals Board)(Brief article)
March 21, 2008... The HHS secretary could end up being the final arbiter in departmental survey appeals. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule (Federal Register, Dec. 28, page 73708) that would ensure that administrative...

CARF updates medical rehabilitation standards manual: substantial revisions also set.(Accreditation)(Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities)(Rehabilitation Facilities )(Brief article)
March 21, 2008... The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) recently announced major revisions to its program standards, marking "a new era in quality improvement." CARF's 2008 Medical Rehabilitation Standards Manual introduces...

Therapists see progress with loan repayment bill: student loan forgiveness also a possibility in certain cases.(Legislation)
March 21, 2008... A federal student loan repayment program for professions of "national need" is still a law in the making. But lucky for physical therapists, occupational therapists and audiologists, the U.S. House of Representatives decided to include these...

CMS proposes payment boost for LTCHs: effective date change also proposed.(LTCHs)
March 21, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to increase Medicare payments to long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) by 2.6 percent beginning July 1, according to CMS fact sheet. That's an LTCH PPS standard...

Medicare program risks going broke, report says: with Part A funding about to bottom out, Part B could be at risk as well.(Medicare Funding)
March 28, 2008... The recent widely-reported news about Medicare going broke by 2019 was not an early April Fools' joke. Part A spending is growing faster than taxes are coming in to pay for the program, and the Part A coffers will be empty by 2019 unless...

Laptop containing 2,500 patients' medical records stolen: volunteers deterred from participating in future studies.(Security)
March 28, 2008... A government laptop computer that had unencrypted medical information of participants in a government study was stolen from the trunk of a worker's car late last month. The medical records were those of participants in a heart disease...

Nurses forced to balance patient care with quality improvement: hospitals try to improve quality amidst nursing shortages.(Studies & Reports)
March 28, 2008... A study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) underscores what hospitals have known for the past few years--dividing nurses' time between direct patient care and quality improvement initiatives creates increased tension as...

MedPAC mulls single payment for doctors, hospitals: big changes could be in store for hospital, physician reimbursement.(Reimbursement)
March 28, 2008... At its most recent open meeting the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) considered issuing single payments to be shared by both the hospital and doctors involved in providing inpatient treatment, reports CQ HealthBeat. The plan would...

Survey highlights Latino insurance problems: new survey suggests policy solutions to decrease health disparities among Latinos.(Insurance)
March 28, 2008... One third of the Latino community in California is uninsured--the highest rate among all ethnic groups, according to a survey conducted by MAYA and the Latino Issues Forum. "In an election year when the only thing politicians are...

NPSF proposes to strengthen provider-patient collaboration: compact to provide patient-friendly care and respect for patients' rights.(Patients' Rights)
March 28, 2008... The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) proposed the development of a Universal Patient Compact to complement the Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. The compact will be based on the principles of the Consumer Bill of Rights and...

RNs criticize union actions In certain U.S. hospitals: NNOC/CNA concerned for what patient care standards would be under a CHP-SEIU contract.(Nursing Organizations)
March 28, 2008... The nation's largest organization of registered nurses condemned what it called undemocratic sham union elections scheduled in the Ohio cities of Cincinnatie, Lima. and Springfield. The hospitals are part of the Catholic Healthcare Partners...

MedPAC considers enhanced nursing facility, primary care payments, drug plans: MedPAC also worries that the nation faces a shortage of primary care physicians.(Studies & Reports)
March 28, 2008... The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is considering several draft recommendations to Congress and the Medicare program regarding skilled nursing facility payments, prescription drug plan performance and primary care, according to a...

Investing in employees' interests leads to business success: investment also results in lower administrative costs and higher productivity.(Employee Wellness)
March 28, 2008... Workplaces that invest in the well-being of employees reap rewards for employer and employees alike, including benefits such as reduced stress, lower employee turnover and enhanced organizational performance, according to a survey conducted by...

CMS cracks down on device-makers' relationships with docs: docs should avoid relationships that suggest incentives from manufacturers.(Compliance)(Brief article)
March 28, 2008... Last September, five orthopedic device makers escaped criminal prosecution, despite the fact that the government filed criminal complaints against four of them for "conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statutes," according to a...

MedPAC calls for streamlined pharma approval process: pathway needed to enable competition and reduce costs.(Biogenerics)
March 28, 2008... With the growing number of biogenerics products entering the market, the demand of having a regulatory pathway for biogenerics has gained momentum. A new Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) report says, "Having an abbreviated...

Seniors' mortality rates from falling injuries increase: $19 billion spent annually on treating these cases.(Eldercare)
March 28, 2008... Medical and eldercare policy groups are putting pressure on Congress to fund falls prevention programs. Twenty-two groups, including the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, are calling on Congress to spend $20 million on falls...